Daredevils and Dreamers
by Bon De Soren
Summary: The Second Omnic Crisis has grown out of hand. Winston made a bold move when he initiated the recall. Now with the riddance of the Petras Act, Overwatch is officially reactivated and legally able to keep the peace. With this, familiar faces return to the scene as well as a few fresh ones join the ranks of Overwatch, those with dreams to change the world and fight for the future.


**_Log One: Recruitment_**

WATCHPOINT: GIBRALTAR

Empty bottles of peanut butter were littered around here and there alongside a few rotting banana peels. The room was dimly lit with the small collection of computer monitors showing global news reports and the title screen of Hearthstone. All was quiet save for the snoring muffled by the steel desk. Just then, door slid open.

"Winston?" asked Tracer in a cheeky, British voice.

No response from Winston aside from the continued snoring and Tracer pouted at the lack of an answer. He probably pulled an all-nighter again she thought as she looked down at the scattered paperwork laid in front of her.

A sigh escaped her lips as she quickly zipped from the door to the desk, "Oi, Winston… Wake up!"

A tiresome groan was heard from the gorilla, shifting away from his friend (who began to poke him repeatedly). Indicating that he was in no mood to wake up, let alone move at all, Tracer grew impatient with every second.

"Aw, C'mon Winston! Don't tell me you forgot what day it is?" Tracer asked.

Winston groaned, "It's Thursday, Tracer."

"It's actually Friday, Winston," Athena corrected.

"No… Well, yeah, but today's the day!" Tracer exclaimed as she pulled on Winston's arm, "The new recruits! They'll be here in a few!"

It didn't take a single second for Winston to raise his head and fumble for his glasses. How did he forget? Why didn't Athena remind him or at least wake him up? This was on a new level of unprofessionalism, but to be fair he just reactivated Overwatch and he was so busy reinitiating and reorganizing a plethora of old files left behind.

"What about the others?" Winston asked as he scooped up the papers and empty peanut butter bottles, "Are they here yet?"

Winston didn't notice the banana peel on the floor and if it wasn't for Tracer's insight and swiftness, Winston would've slipped and fell.

"Woah! Take it easy, Winston!" Tracer chuckled, holding the banana peel in hand, "They're coming too, but we got a signal from Antartica. Another agent, I assume."

"Did you get their name?" Winston asked.

"No. The signal was a bit choppy, but we've pinpointed their location," replied Tracer.

Winston took a quiet sigh, "We'll send in a small team to locate them."

Tracer playfully saluted, "Yes, Sir! Winston, Sir!"

Winston chuckled a bit, "Still getting used to being called 'Sir.'"

"Well, you are the one running the show now," Tracer replied.

"Yeah… I guess I am," Winston said quietly.

The recall of Overwatch was a huge gamble if not a risky one. The Petras Act stated that any Overwatch agent who engages in action will be prosecuted by the highest order. The United Nations made it clear that any action taken by Overwatch agents or anything remotely related to Overwatch will be deemed punishable by law, yet the world needed Overwatch more than ever. Criminal activity rose instantly with the rise of underground gangs, the formation of terrorist groups such as Talon, and not to mention the ongoing Second Omnic Crisis which manage to expand across most of Eastern Europe and some parts of Asia. Although many independent organizations and defense forces stood up against the ongoing threats, the world continues to plunge into ongoing chaos.

It still astonished Winston when the United Nations announced that they will override the Petras Act just weeks after the recall, but in hindsight, they had it coming.

The news articles said it all.

" _Unrest in London!"_

" _Terrorist Group Talon Still at Large!"_

" _MEKA Continues to Fight as Colossal Omnic Resurfaces!"_

During those years, people from all around the world criticized the United Nations for their failure to counteract the growing situation effectively and many countries pulled out of the United Nations because of their lack of enforcement. They were reluctant to intervene in most if not all conflicts around the world due to negative outcry from the people. Overwatch and the United Nations have never seen eye to eye since Overwatch's controversial days, but if there was any organization capable enough to combat the growing problems around the world, it had to be Overwatch. Thus, Overwatch was reactivated under the jurisdiction of the United Nations and Winston became its new official leader. They're also in the process of rebuilding the Swiss Headquarters, so for now, Gibraltar was the main base of operations. Though the United Nations still claimed to keep a close eye on Overwatch, Winston didn't mind as much. Overwatch was back. That was all that mattered to him.

Roughly a few hours have passed. Winston and Tracer were chatting while walking through one of the hallways, occasionally waving at a few agents here and there. It warmed Winston's heart to see the hallways filled with agents passing by or just striking up a conversation with each other.

"Winston, I was kinda wondering something," Tracer said.

"Ask away," Winston replied happily.

"The recruits-"

"They enlisted on their own accord," Winston was already ahead of his time-zipping friend, "but I haven't looked through the roster yet."

"You wanted it to be a surprise, then?"

"More or less."

"Okay!" The two agents finally stopped in front of the recruitment room. Tracer nudged Winston's shoulder and asked, "Winston. Are you ready?"

Winston sighed as he adjusted his glasses, "Ready as I'll ever be."

"That's the spirit!" Tracer jeered as she opened the sliding door.

Inside the room were the new recruits, sulking around, but once they saw their superiors, most of them scrambled into a formation (albeit a sloppy one). Overwatch cadets were usually a diverse group of individuals, people from different ethnicities, beliefs, and their own skill sets. Tracer and Winston still remember the time when they were cadets. "Pixies" were what they were called.

Tracer laughed as she placed her hands on her hips, "Looks like the cavalry's here!"

"Ah, yes," Winston said with an awkward smile, "It is my honor to welcome all of you to Overwatch. I am Director Winston, and this is Tra- I mean- Lena Oxton, a seasoned Overwatch agent."

Tracer waved, "Hiya! Just call me Tracer!"

"Now then. What's next…" Winston looked down at his clipboard for a brief moment, "Ah. Role call!"

"Sorry… He's sorta new at this…" Tracer whispered to some nearby cadets.

Then Winston began calling out the names of each new cadet. Things were going quite smoothly with each one promptly responding to when their name was called.

"Ricci-Moretti."

 _"Qui."_

"Trembley."

"Here, Sir."

"Patel."

 _"Yaahan."_

"Correia dos Santos."

No response. Each cadet looked at each other while Tracer cocked her head to the side.

"Correia dos Santos," Winston called again, trying to hold back his irritance.

Still no answer, aside from the blaring music.

" _Lucio Correia dos Santos,"_ Winston called.

Just then, a short brown-haired cadet shoved another one, a dark-skinned one, "Lucio!"

"Huh… What?" Lucio asked as he pulled off his headphones. He took a look at his surroundings only to see his fellow comrades and his superiors glare at him. In slight embarrassment, Lucio rubbed the back of his neck as he chuckled nervously, "Ah, my bad."

"It's alright, Love," Tracer replied, "Everyone's had their moments. Oh, and I'm a big fan of your music."

A cheeky grin curled around Lucio's lips, yet he remained modest, "Thank you, Thank you."

Winston was about to reprimand him, but he decided against that and continued to go through the list.

Winston adjusted his glasses, "Now where was I… Oh, yes... Song. Hana Song?"

"D.Va online!" mused the brown-haired girl next to Lucio. She stood with confidence and poise with a cheeky smile to add to that adorable image.

"The professional StarCraft gamer?" One cadet asked quietly.

"She pilots a mech, right?" Another one asked.

"Gotta ask for an autograph when this is over," mused yet another one.

D.Va giggled a bit as the cadets whispered among themselves. It always brought her great joy when she was around her fans; when she was the center of attention. Even Winston and Tracer showed signs of awe and interest.

"Alright. Settle down everyone," Winston flailed his hands in a downward motion, "We have to get through the list."

And so, Winston once again went down the list. Various cadets answered when their names were being called. One particular cadet, Efi Oladele, caught everyone off guard due to her age and subsequent height. By Overwatch's standards, they had to be at least 18 or older to enlist.

"Efi," Winston explained earnestly, "It's an honor that you want to join Overwatch, but-"

"I'm not the one enlisting," Efi interrupted casually, "Orisa is."

The four-legged OR15 waved at the gorilla, "GREETINGS, WINSTON."

Winston was left speechless for a time while Tracer looked on in wonder. Orisa's "age" wasn't so much of a problem, but the idea of an omnic joining the ranks of Overwatch would bring an uproar unlike any other. However, Efi argued that the people of Numbani live in peace with the omnics.

"If my people can do it, then so can the rest of the world," Efi contested.

"Efi…" Winston was at a loss for words. Efi was a genius, but she was also a child and it was normal for a child to share an idealistic view of the world, no matter how smart they were. The other cadets sent menacing glares towards Orisa (of which she only waved back at them in return). Winston would be taking a big risk if he lets Orisa join Overwatch, but he could understand Efi's reasoning.

He already took a risk with the recall. What's one more gamble?

"... Very well," Winston decided, "We'll make this work."

Some of the cadets reeled back in disgust. They'd be working with an omnic, of all things. The long-time tension between human and omnic could be felt around the room. Hell, some of them were quick to oppose the idea and threatening to leave altogether, but Efi stood behind her decision.

"Hey! Hey!" Tracer tried to defuse the agitation in the room but to no avail. Winston wanted to say something, but due to the majority outright rejecting the idea, he wasn't so sure if he should intervene. He was the new head of Overwatch, but he was still new to this. He stuttered several times, struggling to get a word out.

Lucio wasn't having any of this, "Whoa! Chill! Chill! What's so wrong working with an Omnic?"

"Everything!" one angered cadet barked.

"Everyone! Calm down!" called. Unfortunately, not even the famed pro gamer could stop the ever-simmering argument.

It looked like a total train wreck. Everything went straight to hell pretty quick: cadets arguing with one another and their superiors powerless to stop them. What a way to bring forth the next generation of Overwa-

 ** _Slam!_**

The bickering stopped in an instant. Everyone turned to the source of the sound. From the far right side of the formation, the front of a rocket launcher was slammed to the floor. Holding said rocket launcher was a young woman in her mid-thirties wearing a blue armored suit, looking quite annoyed.

"Enough with the fighting," the woman said, "Save that for the battlefield."

Despite her irksome mood, she kept her composure and spoke in a calm manner. Once she took off her helmet, It didn't take Winston or Tracer a second before they recognized who she was.

"F-Fareeha Amari?!" Winston gasped.

"Pharah! Should've seen it coming," Tracer continued as she placed a hand on Pharah's shoulder, "but I'm glad you're here!"

Pharah smiled at the British agent, "What? Did you think I miss an opportunity like this?"

Of course, she wouldn't. Ever since she was a little girl, It was Pharah's dream to join Overwatch and follow in the footsteps of his mother. She almost had the chance to join the first time if it wasn't for the disbanding of Overwatch. Although she was content with her job as a security chief for Helix, she still longed for the life as an official member of Overwatch. Now, this was her chance. There was nothing more in this world that she could ask for and with the official legalization and reactivation of Overwatch, she didn't waste any more time.

"Pharah… Your mother was a hero to me. To all of us," Winston quietly blurted. Pharah only replied with a simple nod. Winston, realizing that Pharah heard him, stumbled as he tried to deter the conversation somewhere else, "B-But, it's an honor having the daughter of one of our great founders in our presence!"

Several cadets talked amongst themselves, awe-stricken.

"So, she's the daughter of one of the founders?" D.Va asked Lucio.

"Yeah, I guess. She must have a huge rep behind her, no doubt," Lucio replied quietly.

"Wow…" Efi was starstruck when she took a glance at Pharah's suit.

"SCANNING… RAPTORA MARK IV COMBAT SUIT. CURRENT CONDITION: EXCELLENT," Orisa explained.

"... Yeah. Thank you, Winston," Pharah simply replied, taking note of everyone else watching her.

Winston knew that he had hit a sensitive spot and he couldn't help but to feel bad, but he had to rally everyone back together, "Look, I understand that tensions are high, but we have to work together. Our job is to keep the peace in the world. How can we do that if we fight each other?"

There were no responses from the cadets, but some lowered their heads and others looked away. The silence proved that Winston was right.

"We will continue to call everyone in a timely manner. We're already behind schedule, so let's finish this up," jeered Tracer.

Once roll call was finished, Tracer and Winston once again welcomed them to Overwatch and dismissed the new group.

"A professional gamer, a freedom-fighting DJ, a child prodigy with a programmed defense omnic, and the daughter of one of the founders themselves joining the ranks," Winston said while stroking his chin.

"That's first, even for Overwatch," Tracer continued, "But the more the merrier, as they always say!"

"So, a genetically-enhanced gorilla and a time-zipping former pilot aren't strange enough?" Winston asked with a smile.

Tracer giggled, "No, that takes the cake. But seriously, despite the anti-omnic argument, I think we have a bunch of good people here. Can't wait to see them in action."

"I think so too," Winston nodded, flipping through the pages of his notebook, "A couple of dreamers wanting to change the world…"

"What was that?" Tracer didn't hear Winston's last comment and Winston, like the bashful klutz that he was fumbled his words.

"Nothing… It's nothing. I promise," Winston reassured his friend, "For now, training is in order. Tracer, I'll be leaving this to you."

Once again, Tracer saluted to her dear friend before zipping away, "Yes, sir! Winston, Sir!"

 ** _Author Notes_**

 _I HAVE RETURNED FROM THE DEAD! But seriously, it's been a while since I've written anything besides college papers and I've started playing Overwatch (albeit I'm a bit late for the hype train)._

 _Yes, this is a Post-Recall AU where Overwatch is legally able to keep the peace and some of the other characters have joined the ranks. However, some of the founding members are still MIA and Blackwatch no longer exists. The Second Omnic Crisis also takes place in various locations besides Russia. There's the main story but told in a string of missions. It went through a lot of changes though ( it was a collection of short stories, including a Lucio x romantic-comedy, a friendly drinking game between Hanzo and McCree, and dinner with the Amari's)._

 _I intend to bring in every character and give them an arc but expect the story to be centered around Pharah, D.Va, Lucio, and Orisa._

 _Anyhoo, I hope that you enjoyed the first log!_

 _Chao!_

 _~Bon de Soren_


End file.
